A Twisted Introvert loner Like Me, Mentally Wrecked One-Sidedly due to Love, Throws Away the Love Letter Sent by the foremost School's Beauty, Leading to an Unwanted Romantic Comedy

Chapter 11: A picturesque one scene

After that, I was taken to the karaoke bar and compelled to sing a song, so I had no choice but to pick up the microphone.

“Well, you know, …un. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, you see.”

Having my shoulders patted ‘pon-pon’ by Hiiragi, I realized, “Oh, I’m tone-deaf.”

Just like that, as time went by, it became evening. Thus when Hiiragi suggested, “I guess we should head home now,” there were no objections, and we decided to head back to the station.

“—–Sorry, another call,”

Right as we approached the ticket gates, once again Hiiragi clasped her hands together in front of us. This was the third time today.

[TL: clasping hands together is like the prayer emoji.]

“Seems like Yuzuki-chan was really busy today,”

Watching Hiiragi walk away while holding her phone to her ear, Katase remarked.

“Is it like that every time you guys go out together?”

“………”

With her mouth was pouting, Katase looked at me with a stern stare. Soon after I realized the meaning of that expression, I coughed deliberately and rearranged my words.

“Is she like that everytime you hang out together? Hiiragi, I mean.”

“Uuu—unn. Normally Yuuzuki-chan is someone who would not pay attention to her mobile when she will be meeting somebody. Even if she were to receive a call in between, she would be like, “It’s not big of a deal, ignore~ ignore~. That is why, today she seemed quite a bit different, somehow.”

“Is that so.”

“Are you curious?”

“Nope, not even in the least.”

I said that to Katase, but it was not something that didn’t make me all curious. Even though a close friend of Hiiragi have the perception of her as someone who wouldn’t use the smartphone when she is meeting someone, yet today, she was doing exactly something that betrays that same perception of her’s.

To let that fact slip by as a mere coincidence, my mind was not innocent to do that. There got to be something up. My mind would normally come to that thought.

“—-Katase-san?”

I pause in my thoughts at the sound of a voice calling out to Katase from behind me.

“――Kata…se-san?”

The voice calling out to Kagami from behind interrupted my thoughts.

“Ryougoku-kun.”

“Yo.”

In front of me when I turned around, there was Ryougoku Kazuta from my class, wearing a refreshing smile that didn’t seem appropriate for this humid season.

“Coming back from club activities?”

“Yeah, we had practice all day since the tournament is coming up.”

“I see. Good luck with the tournament.”

“Obviously, I’ll give it my best.”

Wow, I never thought that just the exchange of words between a handsome guy and a beautiful girl can make such a picturesque scene. It’s like that one scene from a drama where the protagonist reunited with the heroine having undergo innumerable challenges.

So then, what role do I have in this scene? Am I the cameraman, or perhaps an unrelated passerby B… Either way, it’s clear that I’m not meant to be in the spotlight.

Their relationship is obviously unknown to me, but they must be quite close. Therefore, I’ll just read the situation and blend into the background as much as possible—diminishing my presence to the bare minimum!

“But still, —–it’s quite a rare scene to see both of you together. To see Katase-san and Kazari-kun together, probably the first time I saw this.”

As expected of the ace of the basketball team, my attempt at misdirection didn’t work at all. It seems I still have a lot to learn before becoming the phantom sixth man.

Being looked at, slightly nodding my head, feeling bad about not responding, Ryogoku smiled back at me amicably.

If I had been a girl, my eyes would have probably formed into the shape of a heart by now.

“Yu– Yuzuki’s with us as well.”

“Ah, is that so. …… but still, nevertheless, that’s very unusual.”

“That’s for sure.”

Being looked at by Katase, who was standing next to me, as if asking for my agreement, I replied shortly with a, “Yes, I guess so”.

“Well then, I’ll be off now–see you tomorrow.”

“Un, Later.”

In response to Ryogoku’s departure, Katase fluttered her hand in front of her chest and waved it in a small gesture.

Should I wave too? For a moment I hesitated, but in the end, I did nothing and just silently watched Ryougoku walk away.

“———-Sorry, sorry for keeping you waiting… Wait, why are you waving, Sayo?”

As if returning in place of Ryougoku, Hiiragi gave a blank look at Katase waving her hand like that.

“Just some time ago, we ran into Ryogoku-kun earlier by chance. He already went by, though.”

“Eh, He~h, ….Ryogoku-kun was here?”

Contradicting to the disinterested response she gave us, she looked around nervously.

“…HaaAh.”

Eventually, Hiiragi sighed softly and slumped her shoulders.

…Don’t tell me, perhaps this is.

“…What is it?”

“Ah, nope, I was just thinking how much you must’ve wanted to see Ryogoku-kun.”

“Wha!?”

Hiiragi’s poker face crumbled immediately.

“Th-the-the-THWERE IZ N-N-NO-N-NO way that’s true! I-I-I-I absolutely wasn’t desperate to see Ryogoku-kun! I-I-I-I didn’t even show any signs of wanting to meet him! Don’t say such irresponsible things!?”

Uwaa, she’s such an open book.

Hiiragi’s so obvious reaction was as if practically confirming that, it was exactly like that actually.

I guess even those girls in the end-of-the-world troupe games can fall in love too huh… No, rather than that, let’s apologize before it turns into something pain in the **s.

“I’m sorry, Hiiragi. I said something completely ridiculous and out of line.”

“Really… ugh, that’s why loners are…”

Loners got no relation to this though! I bit back the words about to come out and forced a strained smile.

“Nn? Yuzuki-chan, what’s wrong?”

Oi, Oi come on, you gotta be kidding me?

I remained stunned as Katase tilted her head after watching the whole sequence of events playing through.

――――――――――――。

Upon returning home, my phone buzzed briefly.

“Thanks for today! I had so much fun today! Let’s hang out again soon!”

When I checked, there was just one LINE message, the sender seemed to be Katase.

It would be rude to respond six hours later to today’s events. With that in mind, I typed out a reply.

“Yeah, I guess.”